We've known that the bigger the placebo pill, the more powerful it is, and that its color influences mood. But a brand new double-blind randomized controlled study broke new ground.

Parkinson's patients were given a choice of two drugs. One group was told that the drug costs $100 a pill. The other were were told that the same pill costs $1500 a pill. Both were placebo.

58% of the people who took the $100 placebo had improvements in motor coordination and the researchers identified where the changes took place in the brain. 67% had motor improvements when they thought they were taking the more expensive drug.